This is Our Story
by GirlyGeek
Summary: It's been two years since the events in 'Let the Walls Come Down'. On a whim, Mikey auditioned with Tabitha for a revival of Shrek the Musical...and landed the title role. This story takes place on opening night.


Hello, my friends! It's been a while, I know...but this idea for this little one-shot exploded in my mind tonight and wouldn't let me rest until I wrote it. The inspiration came to me in the aftermath of the official trailer for the 2014 TMNT film. A _**LOT** _of people are saying that Mikey looks like Shrek...and I happen to be a _**HUGE **_fan of _Shrek the Musical_...so you can see why my muse ran with the idea, lol. In any case, I hope you enjoy it!

**A/N:** I don't anything pertaining to the _TMNT_ or _Shrek the Musical_. I'm just borrowing them for a little while...

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**This is Our Story**

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_...Backstage of the Broadway Theater; 10 minutes until curtain..._

"Nervous love?"

Mikey looked over to find none other than Tabitha standing beside him-already in full, Fiona costume. "A little," he admitted with a sheepish smile. "Which is ironic since I'm not exactly shy by nature," he added with a soft chuckle before sighing as his shoulders slumped. "How did I ever let you talk me into this? I'm no Broadway star."

Smiling, Tabitha took in the sight of her husband standing beside her in his Shrek costume-her heart giving the oddest little flip at the sight of her normally rambunctious beloved bouncing nervously from foot to foot. Leaning up, she brushed a kiss to his lips. "You auditioned for the part on a whim when I told you I was auditioning for the revival, remember? You did it as a giggle because you love the _Shrek _movie…unlike me, you never believed that you would actually get the part." Her smile was filled with pride.

"Yeah, big reach…cast the green guy as the ogre," Mikey said with a roll of his eyes. "Cut down on the makeup costs, that's for sure."

"It had _nothing_ to do with that and _everything_ to do with the fact that your personality is bigger than life, and your voice is rather good as well," Tabitha said while hugging her husband's arm.

"When you put it that way, I almost believe you," Mikey said with a soft sigh.

"You will be perfect beyond perfect," Tabitha soothed. "You've nailed every rehearsal. You know _all_ your lines and queues…just focus on making people _feel_ something. You're a natural performer, my love. Use it to your advantage. Make them laugh when they should laugh, and make them feel sympathetic when the scene calls for it."

"I _am_ good at making people laugh…" Mikey replied with a smile as he began regaining his confidence.

"Indeed you _are_," Tabitha purred.

The chimes that signaled the curtain began sounding, and Mikey visibly tensed.

"You can do this, love," Tabitha soothed. "And just think…afterwards, we'll meet up with our family and go to the coffee shop down the street. Ruby's parents are babysitting all the little ones, so we'll be able to unwind with a nice coffee and piece of pie," she added with a smile.

Mikey grinned cheekily. "I'd much rather have _your_ pie," he murmured with an underlying growl for his wife's ears alone.

Tabitha giggled and affectionately swatted Mikey's arm-happy that she had pulled her husband out of his nervous stupor. "There's the man I know and love," she whispered as the overture began playing. It would only be a matter of moments before Mikey would need to turn on his microphone and their conversation would be forced to end, she quickly stole another kiss. "Break a leg," she said with a smile before turning and hurrying off.

Mikey slowly let out a sigh and centered himself. "Here we go…" He turned on his mic and spoke in his best Scottish brogue from his place back stage once the music had ended. "Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek who lived with his parents in a bog by a tree…"

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_…Act 2; almost three hours later…_

Sitting beside Claudia in the audience, Raph had one arm draped over his wife's shoulders as his free hand rested gently upon the bump that housed their growing child. _His_ child. Claudia was almost four months along, and Raph still could not believe that they were having a baby. As he glanced down the row to where Leo and Donnie sat with their wives and enjoyed the show, he finally understood how his brothers had felt when Ruby and Violet had been pregnant…the awe, the pride…

The over-protectiveness.

While Raph had always been protective of his mate—as all his brothers were with their wives—he had nevertheless been aware that Claudia was more than capable of taking care of herself. She was strong and self-sufficient…the kind of girl could wield a hammer or set of pliers with the same amount of ease as she could a bowl and whisk. However, Raph's naturally protective nature went into overdrive the moment the pregnancy test had given a positive reading. As it had with Donnie and Leo, the reality of fatherhood had brought every lesson Splinter had taught them rushing to the surface—lessons of how they needed to protect those who could not protect themselves. Unborn children were the epitome of those who could not protect themselves.

Raph glanced at his brothers again.

They were both amazing fathers—patient and nurturing with their little ones no matter how frazzled they were during those months of sleep deprivation. They viewed their children as blessings and miracles, and never took them for granted. They never squandered an opportunity to be with their little ones, and Raph hoped that he would be the same way. While he had gotten his temper well under control, he was the first to admit that he could be an absolute bear when he did not get enough sleep. This self-awareness led to preemptive guilt which caused Raph to be all the more attentive and protective of Claudia in attempts to make up for something he had not yet done. Even Raph was aware that it was getting to the point of being obnoxious, but he simply could not stop.

Fortunately, Claudia had been patient with him and took all of Raph's behavior in stride as only _she _could. Seeming to know what her husband was thinking, she turned her face towards him and smiled while resting her hand over his. She leaned in and tenderly kissed the corner of Raph's wide mouth before giving a small motion of her head towards the stage in a silent request for her husband to put aside his worries for the night and simply enjoy what had been a truly masterful performance from their brother and sister.

Raph smiled and his heart fluttered in delighted pride. It never ceased to amaze him just how _well_ his wife knew him. It was with a small nod that he turned his attention back to the stage where Mikey and Tabitha had begun singing their final duet to the accompaniment of an acoustic guitar that was gradually joined by drums and woodwinds.

Dressed in full ogre attire and makeup now as she faced Mikey, Tabitha began singing as she gazed into her husband's beautiful, blue eyes—meaning every word she sang to him. "I've waited all my life. Lived it by the book. Now I know that's _not_ my story." She smiled lovingly up at him. "You take me as I am. Love me as I look…standing here in all my glory. I am sweetness. I am bratty. I'm a princess. I'm a fatty. I'm a mess of contradictions in a dress. I am sassy. I am sappy. When I'm with you, I am _happy_! This is my story!"

The nerves he had felt at the beginning of the show long-since gone, Mikey smiled widely and took Tabitha's hands in his own as he sang his portion of the duet. "You laugh at all my jokes…even though they're crude. You don't mind that I'm not classy." He shivered in delight as Tabitha's beautiful voice harmonized with his during the next verse, and he finally understood just _why_ his wife loved this world so much.

The adrenaline…

The music!

"We are witches. We are fairies. We are weirdos."

The music of the orchestra and the voices of the cast swept around the two of them as they sang and moved around the stage before finally coming to stand upon the section of floor that would raise the both of them above the rest of the cast. As wonderful as the harmonies were, it was the lyrics that struck a chord deeply within him. With few exceptions, the love story of Shrek and Fiona _was_ in fact their story. Their story was far from a perfect fairytale—more of a fractured fairytale if anything—the two of them had still fallen hopelessly in love and made things work in spite of the odds that had been against them.

"We are nitwits, and united. You are _us_, and we are _you_."

The same could be said for his brothers, and as Mikey glanced into the audience as he and Tabitha were raised into the air, he could just barely make them out because of the stage lights, but there was no mistaking their shapes as they sat beside their wives. Though they looked more akin to Shrek and were far cries from the handsome princes that girls dream of marrying, the four of them had each found a beautiful princess to love and in turn be deeply loved by in return.

"This is our story!"

Mikey's smile widened as he pulled Tabitha gently into his arms. It was scripted, as was the kiss that was seconds away, but the love in his eyes was genuine, and his smile only grew when he saw that love reflected back in his wife's eyes.

"This is our story!"

Mikey leaned down and captured his wife's lips in a tender, lingering kiss while pressing her close—churring softly before he could stop himself. When the kiss broke, Tabitha brought one of her green, prosthetic hands up to Mikey's cheek in an unscripted move and smiled before they both turned to face the audience and joined hands while joining the ensemble for the end of the song.

"This is our story!"

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**A/N:** Did you know that I've recently become a published author? If you really love my writing, you should check out my novel! It can be found on my website! Check out my profile page for the link! :D


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